IMO and WCO partner on e-business compendium

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have signed a partnership agreement to maintain, update, publish and distribute the IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business. The compendium provides essential guidance and standardised forms for electronic exchange of information on cargo, passengers and crew, for ships, carriers, port authorities, customs, terminals, consignees and other parties in the supply chain.

Under the agreement, signed on 22 December, the WCO takes responsibility for the technical maintenance of the compendium, including liaison with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the global focal point for trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards (UN/EDIFACT).

The scope of responsibilities and procedures for the maintenance of the Compendium are detailed in the annex of the Agreement, and the Compendium is under the purview of the Maritime Safety Division of IMO and the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate of the WCO.

WCO and IMO worked during 2015 on the maintenance of the Compendium, and taking into account the suggestions of the WCO’s Data Model Project Team (DMPT), WCO will present a new version of the Compendium to the Facilitation Committee, which meets in April 2016, for approval.